Combined coin holder and exhibitor



Nov. 3, 1964 B. A. RENO 3,155,236

COMBINED COIN HOLDER AND EXHIBITOR Filed Feb. 15, 1963 INVENTOR. I B l LLY A. \2 E- N o F BY ATTORN EYS United States Patent 3,155,236 COMBENED COIN HOLDER AND EXHIBITQR Billy A. Reno, 1631 Huizenga St, Mnskegon, Mich. Filed Feb. 15, 1963, Ser. No. 258,714 2 Claims. c1. 206.S2)

This invention relates to a novel combined coin holder and exhibitor.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a simpler, more efiicient, and more practical device of the kind indicated which securably holds a coin in nonrattling, dustand moisture-proof condition, with both of the sides of the coin fully visible, and wherein insertion and removal of the coin is simple and easy.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a device of the character indicated above, which comprises a fiat body of transparent material, such as clear plastic, having a coin slot opening to an edge thereof, for reception and removal of a coin, and a coin-retaining slide which is removably engaged in the slot and is secured in place by friction with the body, opposed areas of the slot and the slide being arcuate for conformance to the circular shape of the coin.

A further object of the invention is the provision, in a device of the character indicated above, of inset window areas, in its opposite sides, which are registered with a held coin, for exhibiting the opposite sides or faces of the coin, the insetting of the window areas serving to maintain them out of contact with surfaces upon which the device may be laid and moved, whereby checking and crazing of the window areas is permitted, which would otherwise spoil the transparency of the window areas.

Other important objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein, for purposes of illustration only, a specific form of the invention is set forth in detail.

in the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a device of the present invention, showing its slide in retaining relation to a mint or uncirculated coin;

FIGURE 2 is an exploded perspective View of FIG- URE l, with the slide and the coin removed from the body of the device;

FIGURE 3 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 33 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged transverse section taken on the line 44 of FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 5 is a view like FIGURE 3, showing the slide engaged further in the coin slot to accommodate a circulated or worn coin.

Referring in detail to the drawings, wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout the several views, the illustrated device comprises a flat, parallel sided, and preferably square body 10, of suitable transparent material, such as clear plastic. The body has upper and lower edges 12 and 14, respectively, side edges 16, and opposed first and second sides 18 and 20.

The body 18 is formed, parallel spaced from its sides 18 and 20, and equidistant from and parallel to its side edges 16, with a coin slot 22, which has parallel sidewalls 24, and an arcuate bottom wall 26. The center of curvature of the arcuate bottom wall 26 is a point substantially at the exact centers of the opposed sides 18 and 26. The slot 22, at its upper end, opens, as indicated at 28, to the flat bottom 34 of a longitudinally elongated notch 32, of the width of the slot 22, which indents the upper edge 12 of the body It A coin C is adapted to be dropped into the slot 22, until its lower edge bears upon the arcuate bottom wall 26 thereof. The size and thickness "of the body and the width and depth of the slot 22 are adapted to be varied for the accommodation of coins of different 3,155,235 Patented Nov. 3, 1964 diameters and thicknesses. In the cases of small and relatively thin coins, the thickness of the body 10 can be reduced accordingly, so that the weight and mass of the device is desirably reduced, for ease and economy of storage, which can be important in large coin collections.

The coin C is removably retained in position in the slot 22, by means of a slide 34, which comprises a fiat tongue 36, slightly smaller in width and thickness than the slot 22, and conforming in shape thereto, so that the tongue makes frictional contact with the sidewalls 24 and the opposed first and second surfaces 38 and 49, of the slot 22, which resists accidental removal of the slide from the slot 22, and provides for non-rattling holding of a coin in the device.

The tongue 36 is formed, in its lower edge, with an arcuate notch 42, whose ends 44 intersect the lower ends of the side edges 46 of the tongue, and corresponds in curvature to the arcuate bottom wall 26 of the slot 22. A longitudinal, rectangular cross section flat head or bar 48 is formed or fixed centrally along the upper edge of the tongue 36, which projects from opposite sides of the tongue and corresponds in length, width, and shape to the notch 32 and which is receivable in the notch 32, in the inserted condition of the slide 34.

As shown in FIGURES 1 to 3, the bar 48 is slightly shallow in depth than the notch 32, so that with a mint or uncirculated coin C, which is larger in diameter than a circulated or worn coin C, in the slot 22, the top surface 54 of the bar 48 will be flush with the upper edge 12 of the body 10, and the undersurfaces 52 of the bar 48 spaced upwardly from the bottom 30 of the notch 32, with the arcuate notch 42 in the lower end of the tongue 36 engaged with the upper edge of the mint or uncirculated coin.

Where a worn or circulated coin C is in the slot 22, the slide 34, as shown in FIGURE 5, is adapted to be pushed far enough into the slot 22 so as to engage its arcuate notch 42 with the upper edge of the coin C, and at least as far as engagement of the bar 48 with the bottom 30 of the notch 32. With this arrangement, the device is equally adapted to securely hold either uncirculated and circulated coins, in a non-rattling, dustand moisture-proof condition.

In order that the effective transparency of the opposed first and second sides 18 and 20 of the body 10 be maintained, despite wear thereon produced by laying and sliding the device on abrasive surfaces, these sides are formed with insert circular windows 54 and 56, respectively, which are substantially the same in diameter as the coins C and C, and are registered with coins in place in the slot 22. This insetting of the windows 54 and 56 puts them out of wearing contact with surfaces and assures their permanent and unimpaired transparency under all anticipated conditions of use of the device.

Although there has been shown and described a preferred form of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not necessarily confined thereto, and that any change or changes in the structure of and in the relative arrangements of components thereof are contemplated as being within the scope of the invention as defined by the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. A coin holder comprising a body formed in one edge thereof with an inwardly-extending coin-receiving slot, said slot being spaced from opposed sides of the body, said slot having a concave arcuate inner end, and a coinretaining slide frictionally engaged in said slot, said slide having a concave arcuate inner end for engaging and retaining a coin in the slot against the arcuate inner end of the slot, said one edge of the body being formed with a longitudinal notch, said notch being longer than the width of the slot, said slide comprising a tongue of the cross section of the slot, 2. bar on the outer end of the tongue seated in the notch, said bar being of substantially the length of the notch, Wider than the tongue and of less height than the depth of the slot, said bar having an outer surface adapted to be flush with the surface of said one side of the block while retaining an uncirculated coin in the coin. slot and adapted to be depressed below said surface for retaining a circulated coin in the slot.

2. A coin holder according to claim 1, wherein said body has transparent circular Windows in its opposed sides, said Windows being registered with a coin present in the coin slot.

i- Reterences Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 239,965 Konig Apr. 12, 1881 560,080 Booher May 12, 1896 1,987,111 Kellenneier Jan. 8, 1935 2,489,707 Eubanks Nov. 29, 1949 2,844,248 Tiberio July 22, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 344,950 Switzerland Apr. 14, 1960 

1. A COIN HOLDER COMPRISING A BODY FORMED IN ONE EDGE THEREOF WITH AN INWARDLY-EXTENDING COIN-RECEIVING SLOT, SAID SLOT BEING SPACED FROM OPPOSED SIDES OF THE BODY, SAID SLOT HAVING A CONCAVE ARCUATE INNER END, AND A COINRETAINING SLIDE FRICTIONALLY ENGAGED IN SAID SLOT, SAID SLIDE HAVING A CONCAVE ARCUATE INNER END FOR ENGAGING AND RETAINING A COIN IN THE SLOT AGAINST THE ARCUATE INNER END OF THE SLOT, SAID ONE EDGE OF THE BODY BEING FORMED WITH A LONGITUDINAL NOTCH, SAID NOTCH BEING LONGER THAN THE WIDTH OF THE SLOT, SAID SLIDE COMPRISING A TONGUE OF THE CROSS SECTION OF THE SLOT, A BAR ON THE OUTER END OF THE TONGUE 